Get Started

To take an online course, you first need to be admitted as a student at Southwestern. Visit the Admissions webpage for an application!

Once you’ve received your acceptance letter and/or phone call, contact the Registrar's Office at 817.923.1921 x3040 to be registered. A student must register through the Registrar for the first course/semester in order to gain access to WebAdvisor, Student Email, and Blackboard. A few days after being registered, start trying to log into your various accounts and notify Information Technologies if there is a problem.

If you are already a current student, you may register for Online courses through WebAdvisor (Internet courses will all be section letter “I.”)

You’re probably saying to yourself, I’ve registered, so now what?
Well, there are a few things you need to do before the first day of class.

Student Email

We provide each student an official email account at Southwestern. The email account is web-based and powered by Microsoft Office365, so all you need is a web browser and an Internet connection to access it. Your instructor will send any course-related email to your student email address.

You can find your username and set your pasword for your Student Email account on the Student Technology page: http://technology.swbts.edu/ This page also contains additional Office365 email information, including a list of frequently access questions.

IMPORTANT! All correspondence will be sent to your student email account.

WebAdvisor

WebAdvisor is the primary Internet window used by students to manage their relationship with Southwestern. Students can register for classes, perform degree audits, review your financial aid status, and manage your account. Because the Registrar and the Business Office no longer send statements in the mail, this is an extremely important account to access.

Blackboard

Your course will “take place” in a software called Blackboard. It sits on our server, and you access it like a website. Once you’ve registered, that will trigger a process in which our Information Technologies staff creates several accounts for you as a student, including a Blackboard account.

You can find your login for your Blackboard account on the Student Technology page: http://technology.swbts.edu/. Your student ID (the seven-digit ID issued by the seminary - including the initial zero) will be your username for Blackboard.

Your courses may not be available yet. Click on the Registrar’s calendar link to see what day classes start. You should be able to access your class on that day. (Internet classes start on the same day as campus classes.)

Textbooks

The Southwestern Online office publishes a list of Textbooks for Online courses approximately one month before classes begin, and this link is emailed to your Student Email account prior to the start of classes. The Southwestern Online office can also provide the link.

Notice that we provide a list of textbooks for Internet courses only. The list of textbooks for any other campus courses will be posted in the Life Way bookstore two weeks before classes start. Students can call them at 1.800.656.2215 for more information or to have books shipped to them.